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Friday, February 15, 2013

Where I've Been

Very busy growing out my bangs.

The past year has been a little weird for me. My health was on a slow decline and it took over 10 months for me to even realize it. That probably makes me sound like an unobservant idiot but, as it turns out, that's kind of how it goes with thyroid issues. No one around me noticed either.

It took all kinds of hair and skin problems, weird appetite, 2 surprise pregnancies followed by 2 equally surprising miscarriages, low level depression, exhaustion, apathy toward stuff I normally love (ahem, blogging/sewing/cooking/running/etc.) and daily headaches for me to finally admit I was not at 100%. Actually, I take that back. It took 11 hours of sleep each night plus a nap every afternoon for me to say, "Hm, I think something may possibly be wrong?" And then my doctor connected the other dots for me and did a blood test.

The results came back with hypothyroidism and some pretty significant hormone imbalances. I left with a handful of new prescriptions and a lot of hope.

My new besties.

A month later and I am finally feeling a lot more like myself. I debated about whether I should even write about it- does anyone even want to hear about my thyroid?- then I realized that if I had read about someone having the problems I was having over the past year, maybe the lightbulb would have flickered on a lot sooner. Thyroid symptoms come on so slowly and gradually that I kept chalking it up to a bad day. Week. Month. ...Quarter?

I don't know if feeling better will translate to more blogging (although, with 3 posts in one week, things are certainly looking promising). Either way, it's nice to be feeling better.

My mom was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after her fifth baby, and it sounds a lot like what you described. I'm glad you figured out something wasn't right, and that the doctors quickly figured out what it was and how to treat it. Glad to see you back!

Ugh. Sorry it took so long to figure things out, but I'm glad you made a quick rebound. I've known lots of people with thyroid issues (including my mom and grandma), so that was one of the first things they checked when I was not able to get pregnant on my own. Turns out, that isn't a problem for me - yet. I'll be on the lookout for those other symptoms, though. You never know when your thyroid will decide to go haywire.

I'm glad you wrote about your hypothyroidism. It just may help someone recognize these symptoms in themselves. I got checked out for that myself and it was scary. So glad you and your doctor have found something that is working for you.

I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with that for so long, but glad that your doctor figured things out quickly and that you're feeling better. I think it's great that you wrote about it, and I'm happy to see you back to posting again!

Isn't it magnificent to find out there is a REASON you haven't been yourself...and that there is something to be done about it? Thank goodness for good doctors and modern medicine. I'm so glad to hear you're doing better.

Glad you got the meds! I'm Hypo too and it is amazing the difference it makes. They discovered mine while I was doing IVF and the doctor asked if I was depressed/tired/feeling fat--of course I was feeling that way! I was in the middle of IVF! The joy is that now whenever you're tired/depressed or feeling fat you can blame it on your thyroid:)

I'm really glad you shared your story. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism quite a few years ago but still remember how terribly I felt before I went to doctors/got synthetic hormones. I do completely understand how one might overlook all these symptoms even happening for oneself. Thyroid issues kick in very slowly and... you become kind of used of feeling down. I thought it was a job that was tiring me, a weather which made me sleepy, stress which made me quit my hobbies, list goes on... Oh, and it took me some serious hair loss to understand that something is bad with my BODY, not my mind or environment. I'm on hormones for ~3 years now (I'll need to take them for a rest of my life, I hope it's not your case) and I'm so used to taking these little pills - I hardly experience any symptoms at all and feel like a normal human being :) I wish your health will improve even more and you'll feel like 110 percent! Take care of yourself and love this "butterfly" in your neck - it might not make you fly any more but it is for sure a reminder to love yourself and grow up your own wings:)

Kayla!! I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles but am happy to hear that things are coming back together for you. What you just described is how I've been feeling, to a T, but I know that it's because of the chemotherapy I'm on and not my thyroid. It's so hard to sit back and watch as the things you once dearly enjoyed (blogging) slip farther and farther away, even though it's not what you want to happen. Don't put pressure on yourself if you're not feeling up to it. You've got a lifetime follower in me :) Sending healing prayers your way!-Kate @irisinspired.blogspot.com

ah...i have to be on synthroid during my pregnancies....so i'll watch for these symptoms as well, to make sure i'm not needing to be on it all the time. thanks for sharing this with us. here's to more energy for you!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your health problems and TWO miscarriages? You poor thing, those are heartbreaking, no matter how surprising the pregnancy is. Glad that you got down to the root of the problem and you are on the mend. Hope things are looking up for you now!

My heart aches for you, what a hard thing for you and your family to go through. So glad you have found a solution. That's a good thing.

Oh and the bangs, I go back and forth on the idea of them but the commitment is a bit overwhelming. I bought a pair of fake clip in bangs and I gotta be honest, I kinda love them. The whole point of that was that you look great!

Hey man, I've lurked here occasionally for like, erm, maybe 2 years, and I just wanted to offer support. Hyperthroidism is no fun at all and you've really been through the wringer it sounds like. Good on you for being open to the extent you were and I admire your 'this is it' delivery of the facts despite the fact you've probably had some cry-into-your-pillow moments. All the best.

when raquel was here we were talking about this and had this moment where we were like "ohhh, yeah, kayla really has had a bad stretch here, hasn't she?" so a) you weren't alone in not connecting the dots and b) sorry to be kind of a crappy friend and c) at least you didnt get fat? also i love you. also you'd like portland :)

Wow. That sounds miserble. Glad you've finally got some answers - hope you get feeling better soon and yay for 3 blog posts in a week :)! I think of you when I pull out clothes that I rediscovered on one of your last fashion challenges!

I can relate! My thyroid tanked after having my baby (7 months ago) and I'm still working on getting my dose just right. Blah! It's amazing what one little hormone can do to you, isn't it? So sorry about your miscarriages too :( Obviously I don't know you, but your blog is so cute and I've missed it!

I will ALWAYS want to hear about your thyroid. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos a few years ago (I thought I was depressed). Things have generally been on a pretty even keel for the last few years, but hearing stories like yours makes me think that I need to be a LOT more aware of what I should be watching myself for. It's hard, though, when we are in our pregnancy and baby years, when our hormones and things are fluctuating so wildly anyway. Blah.

I've had Hashimotos for almost twenty years (I was diagnosed in high school). Those little pills are life savers. I notice when I forget to take them I don't feel myself at all. As far as autoimmune diseases go, it's an easy one to manage.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 14 and have been on synthroid ever since. Sorry about all your health problems, but I'm glad they discovered the reason for them. If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me!

I haven't been keeping up with reading the many blogs (including yours) that I have bookmarked, but I'm glad I checked it out today. It's amazing how long it takes to connect the dots with your health because it is SO easy to say, "I ran around like a maniac all day, of course I'm tired" instead of realizing there's a bigger problem. It took around 5-7 years for me to get diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome (a weird autoimmune disorder that pretty much makes you feel like a human sponge that's been squeezed completely dry.) I'm glad the medications are working, and I hope you continue to be on the mend!

I got diagnosed with this about a year ago (after two years of me desperately trying to convince my GPs and doctors I had thyroid issues) and you don't realise just how many things it effects in your body until you start to feel better. Once you get the put on the medication, it takes effect so gradually that one day you wake up and just suddenly realise that you feel amazing and so much better and it's a feeling you'd forgotten. That's a good day.